Devil's Bay (6)

"Barnacles?"

Gu Xiang Kai, who had never paid much attention to academic classes, had no concept of them.

"Do you know why I get seasick? I once did a mission on the ocean... the waves... well, let's not talk about it."

"But I've seen these things. Back then, a high-level player gave a lecture, saying they're like parasites of the sea that latch onto anything, living or not."

Nan Yue pulled her body back. "There are many of them."

"A lot of them."

Because most of the cruise ship's hull was submerged, and the structure widened as it went up, they hadn't noticed the hull below while standing on the deck.

But from what she had just seen, the hull for several meters above the sea level was covered in barnacles. The situation below the surface could only be worse.

"Barnacles? It's normal for ships that spend years at sea to have them, but generally, the crew cleans them off after returning to port."

Wen Xiang Yuan didn't dare lean out. She only furrowed her brows, looking thoughtful.

"Because once barnacles attach themselves, they basically don't fall off. They'll keep multiplying, worsening the hull's rust and corrosion. Moreover, the added weight increases the ship's draft and significantly slows it down."

"Barnacles aren't edible and have no value, so they're usually just destroyed."

"Sailors value their ships highly and are usually very proactive about cleaning them."

"If there are as many as Boss says..."

Wen Xiang Yuan didn't finish her sentence, but everyone understood.

Coming to the Devil's Bay was an extremely dangerous endeavor. No matter how well Steve handled the helm, he shouldn't have brought a ship with such underlying risks.

"This mission is quite interesting."

Long Qinghe stubbed out his cigarette. "On the surface, there are seven sub-missions, but this ship is filled with oddities everywhere."

Nan Yue gave a hum of agreement. "But the prompt won't be wrong. There are no tricks when it comes to the seven sub-missions."

Staying there was pointless. The sea breeze was strong at night, and the lighting on the deck was dim. Without lingering further, the group headed back into the cabins.

"I'm going to sleep for a bit and come out again at midnight."

Long Qinghe was a bit surprised to hear he was sharing a room with Gu Xiang Kai, but he was very happy about it.

Gu Xiang Kai said he would head back in a while, so Long Qinghe left first.

"We're resting separately for this mission. Everyone, follow the map Wenwen drew and make sure to remember the specific location of your rooms. If there's a problem, don't hesitate to find a teammate."

Nan Yue ran into Jiang Siyan in the corridor. He looked noble and refined, appearing somewhat cramped in the hallway.

"Are you going out?"

Seeing Jiang Siyan's appearance, it seemed he didn't intend to return to his room.

Jiang Siyan adjusted his glasses, revealing a somewhat helpless expression.

"The room is too narrow. I'm going out for a breath of fresh air."

Up until now, Nan Yue hadn't seen Jiang Siyan actively look for clues. Perhaps high-level players had their own ways of passing missions.

"We're on the same corridor. Let's look out for each other if anything happens."

Nan Yue spoke casually, and Jiang Siyan accepted it well. "Of course."

Nan Yue stood there for a moment. She was indeed very envious of Jiang Siyan's ability.

A healing-type was exactly what she lacked.

No matter how powerful she was, she only had one life. In a situation like Antswamp Village, if Wen Xiang Yuan hadn't sacrificed herself and if they hadn't been lucky enough to escape the ant swarm, they would have likely been wiped out.

If there were a healing-type...

At least they wouldn't have been in such a pathetic state.

From what she could see, although Jiang Siyan had a somewhat dark inner world, his hostility wasn't directed outward but rather toward himself.

So, Nan Yue wasn't too worried about his character.

But...

How could a Top 9 powerhouse join a small fry team like hers?

Nan Yue sighed softly and walked back to her room. If only there were a way to get Jiang Siyan into the team.

Coercion was impossible. Bribery?

Selling him a dream?

Hmm...

Nan Yue planned to take some time to think back on the 'care' she had received at Blooming Media Company.

If she could get a top-tier healer into her team, the team's survival rate would increase significantly.

When Nan Yue returned to the room, Tan Xiaonan was already back. She was rummaging through the black leather suitcase from under Nan Yue's bed.

Nan Yue's sudden return made her stand there awkwardly.

Although Nan Yue wasn't the owner of the suitcase, Tan Xiaonan felt as if she had been caught red-handed going through someone else's things...

Nan Yue nodded to her and closed the door. "It's fine. I already looked at the stuff under your pillow too. Feel free to look at any clues in the room."

Tan Xiaonan's eyes widened slightly, and she hurried to check her pillow.

Nan Yue went into the bathroom to wash her hands. The bathroom was entirely made of silver metal, with a small, dirty mirror on the wall.

She turned on the faucet. Because the ship's water pressure was very unstable, the water flow was weak.

She sniffed her hands; they smelled of brine and fish.

She remembered Wen Xiang Yuan saying that ships usually have purification and filtration systems. They certainly drank fresh water, but their domestic water should also be purified.

It felt as if this ship wasn't even equipped with such a system.

Sure enough, just as she and Wen Xiang Yuan had felt, the purpose of this ship was contradictory.

Based on the decor and the status of the guests, it did seem like a cruise ship. But the massive harpoon guns, the lack of a purification system... these things made the ship look like it wasn't meant solely for leisure and entertainment.

Of course, it wasn't impossible that the Devil's Bay was just unique. But it had been ten years, and Steve had been making money off this route—couldn't he update the equipment?

Nan Yue stopped washing her hands, shook them dry, and walked out.

Tan Xiaonan had finished looking through all the clues and was sitting on the bed.

Seeing Nan Yue come out, she gave a friendly smile. "We'll be roommates for the next few days. Please look after me."

Nan Yue smiled and climbed onto her bed.

The bed was hard and narrow, with no headboard, making it difficult to sleep. She sat up cross-legged again, her mind still dwelling on the ship's inconsistencies.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Tan Xiaonan seemed a bit restless.

"Are you nervous?"

Tan Xiaonan nodded at her question. "Yeah, I... I've done so many missions, but I still haven't quite adjusted."

"I get nervous every time I enter a mission."

Tan Xiaonan forced a smile. "My grades were pretty good back at the academy, but the psychological pressure of a real mission is completely different."

Nan Yue comforted her softly. "Everyone feels that way. That's why the stress-resistance course at the academy is mandatory."

"You can rest well for a few days after leaving the mission. Eating and sleeping well will help your energy recover faster."

Tan Xiaonan asked curiously, "Does that really work?"

She looked a bit embarrassed. "I still have a part-time job. I opened a small ice cream shop. Sometimes when the inn owner enters a mission, I even go to help watch their shop."

Nan Yue sighed silently. The points earned by ordinary scavengers couldn't even support their daily lives, so they had to work non-stop after missions.

In the long run, their mental stability would never improve.

"You said you've passed many missions?"